The advent of computers, the Internet, and other advances in the digital realm of consumer electronics have resulted in a great variety of programming, recording, and viewing options for users who view media content such as television programs. In implementing such options, the set-top box (“STB”) has become an important computing device for accessing media content services and the media content within those services. In addition to supporting traditional analog broadcast video functionality, STBs also support an increasing number of two-way digital services such as video-on-demand, internet protocol television (“IPTV”), and personal video recording.
An STB is usually configured to provide users with access to a large number and variety of media content choices provided by a subscriber television system. For example, a user may choose to experience a variety of broadcast television programs, pay-per-view services, video-on-demand programming, and audio programming via an STB.
To assist a user with navigating the variety of media content choices provided by the subscriber television system, an STB typically includes a program guide application, which is configured to present information descriptive of media content to the user. For example, a typical program guide may provide scheduling and/or ordering information related to the media content choices.
However, the capabilities of conventional program guide applications are generally limited because of the inherent restrictions placed on traditional STBs. Typically, traditional STBs are designed to have minimal memory and processing capabilities. While this helps keep consumer costs down, it also restricts the amount of information that can be stored and processed by an STB. The restriction is especially problematic for conventional program guide applications that process program guide data. This problem is magnified in subscriber television systems that provide large amounts of content choices and program guide data. Consequently, the quality of traditional program guide user interfaces has been sacrificed.